Bolt Throwers
Overview The Bolt Throwers are a loyalist Space Marine chapter of the 25th founding. They are a successor chapter of an unknown chapter (the Black Templar's are rumored to be the parent chapter) to be on a constant crusade against the enemies of the Imperium, especially the forces of chaos. In these dark times as now more than ever the Imperium needs all the Astartes it can muster. A secondary mission of the chapter is to continue the work of the great crusade & to pick up where things were left at the start of the Horus Heresy. They see it as their holy duty to finish the work that the Emperor started over ten thousand years ago of reclaiming, and folding back in all the worlds once controlled by humanity during the dark age of technology. The chapter views the current state of the Imperium with a modicum of disdain for how far off the path of the Imperial truth it has strayed, and very much wish to bring the Imperium back to the zenith it once held, and beyond. An interesting and remarkable facet of the Bolt Throwers is their following of the codex astartes. They pick & pull from it the best elements that suits them, and leave behind the ones they deem detrimental or outright idiotic. The chapter holds the belief that in the grim dark present they, and the imperium, finds themselves in a different approach is needed to save mankind. The most striking, and bold conviction held by the chapter is their disregard for the codex's limit on battle brothers per chapter. For them the only way to win is a via brutal, overwhelming force, and tactics alone are not enough, when the imperium is besieged like never before on all sides inside & out, they believe that they need to be everywhere & anywhere the foes of the emperor are. The Knights think that there is too much disunity, fragmentation, and no singular transcendent purpose propelling the Imperium forward for it to mount an effect advance on their foes. Instead they see the most the Imperium can do is hold it's ground while it slips slowly into degradation from the inside out. No foe can strike one singular blow to bring the Imperium to it's death throws, only the Imperium it'self can do that. Tactics The chapter specializes in close quarters, blitzkrieg warfare, favoring the utilization of power axes, power spears, and dreadnoughts to rend & eviscerate their foe's into bloody heaps for the glory of the Emperor. Additionally, the Bolt Throwers exclusively wear MK's II through IV power armor, and will commonly mix & match different MK's together. On becoming a full battle brother of the chapter it is an initiatory practice for each brother to customize their suit of power armor (ranging from minor modifications to large alterations) turning it into a unique suit of artificer armor. Not only does each brother alter his armor they will also personalize the very weapons they bring into battle. As the chapter favors brutal lightning assaults dreadnoughts have naturally taken the place as the chapters beloved means of direct heavy support on the battle field, as brothers are locked in ferocious combat with the enemy, due to the dreadnoughts versatility, and their effectiveness at charging/slamming into & utterly shattering enemy lines as vicious behemoths of battering rams allowing the battle brothers in the immediate rear to pour in, and exploit the opening as they cleave the enemy's flesh with unyielding hatred and blood lust for those that dare to show defiance to the Imperium. One singular aspect of the chapter relating to their reverence of dreadnoughts is that battle brothers of the chapter will willingly undergo surgical procedures which allow them to be able to pilot the ancient holy death machines. Resulting in the chapter having a much higher number of dreadnoughts per battle brother than most chapters. Similarly to the chapters affinity for pre-heresy Marks of power armor the same can be said about the patterns of dreadnoughts employed on the battle field with the vast majority being Contemptor, and Leviathan pattern dreadnoughts. Home World The chapters HQ, and Fortress Monastery is on the planet Vroika, which is located in the Segmentum Pacificus. Vroika is an arid earth sized planet with a thin atmosphere, sparse forests solely on it's equator, and having one massive ice cap on it's north pole. The Fortress Monastery is called The Dam (as the chapter believes that they are the dam which will hold back the flood of chaos & foul xenos hordes from reaching deeper into Imperial space) with it being located deep in the rock under the ice of the north pole. Vroika orbits a super massive gas giant as the only moon of it. There are three other planets in the same solar system with one being a forge world of the mechanics. Organization & Unit Types Iconography The chapters iconography is taken from ancient Terra it's true meaning long since lost to time with maybe only one being in the galaxy knowing it's truth. The black of the lightning bolts symbolizes the brothers of the chapter radiating out out in every direction leaving nothing untouched in the glory of the emperor, and striking fiercely just as the emperor struck fiercely out into the galaxy to rebuild humanity. Additionally, the black rings represent the bonds of brother hood that hold the chapter together. The red is a metaphor for the blood that must be shed in order for the chapter to achieve victory, and the blood that will be saved by victory over their foes. Lastly the white represents the chapters purity to the emperor, humanity, and the imperial truth. Gene Seed The chapter traces it's gene seed to an unknown source, and for the most part has a relatively unmutated gene seed. The only gene flaw that the Bolt Throwers suffer from manifests itself during an aspirants transformation, from a mere mortal to a demi god, by expressing itself by means of accelerated height gain until the aspirant stands +-10 feet in height, without their battle plate. As much of a blessing this may appear there are some draw backs to this gene flaw. Such as anytime the chapter leaves for battle it must bring more suits of power armor & equipment with them than what a more regular chapter would opt to bring. Since the forge world that is located in the same system as their fortress monastery is the only forge world known at this present time which still produces the Marks of armor employed by the chapter, and to the frame of the chapters Astarte's. Any prolonged foray into the galaxy must be well planned & supplied as not any forge world can easily supply them with replacement parts. Chapter Relics Emperors Light - Power Spear, rumaored to have been gifted by the Salamanders & hand crafted by non other than the Primarch Vulcan himself, wielded by High Lord Marshal Constantine Knights Solace - Power Axe used by Knight Prefect Haakon in the slaying of a Necron Overlord Chapter Strength Battle Barges - 9 Strike Cruisers - 21 Battle Brothers - 3812 Terminators (Suits) - 467 Contemptor Dreadnoughts - 291 Leviathan Dreadnoughts - 103 Land Raiders - 82 Campaigns Imperial Relations Chapter Recruitment Chapter recruitment Category:Space Marines Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Segmentum Pacificus